The role of veterinary research institute in improvement of camels health and exportation Ahmed, Elghali A. 1* and M. Zein M. Eisa 2 1 Veterinary Research Institute (VRI), Soba, Khartoum, Sudan. 2 Tumbool Camel Research Centre, Sudan. *Author of correspondence: Mobile: 0912805583 / 0128785598. E-mail: elghaliaahmed@hotmail.com ABSTRACT The Veterinary Research Institute (VRI) is one of the Animal Resources Research Corporation constituents. Additional to its central departments it has 16 regional laboratories in the different Sudan states. VRI collaborates with all other federal and states general directorates of the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Rang Lands to improve animal health. The outcome of this collaboration should be protection of the national herd, increasing animal production and productivity, controlling zoonotic diseases and improving animal wealth exports. VRI mandates are to conduct proper research, quick and reliable diagnosis, vaccines production and train veterinary and assistant staffs. In this article the cooperation of VRI with the General Directorate of Quarries and Meat Hygiene (GDQMH) in enhancing the animal exportation with an emphasis on camels is highlighted. To facilitate the understanding of this relationship the VRI and GDQMH data of the years 2011 and 2012 is considered. Camels population in the Sudan is estimated as 4.7 millions heads representing only 4.5% of the total animal population. This with other factors related to camels herd structure and markets demands led to fewer export numbers compared to other animal species. VRI, in general, diagnosed during 2011 and 2012 a total of 405330 animal samples, 2.3% of them were from camels. The institute produced and distributed during these two years a total of 98381331 doses of different animal vaccines and 75846 ml of Brucella Rose Bengal Antigen. For export purpose a total of 7116841 animals were vaccinated and 4.7% of them were camels, while only 37389 camels (0.6% of all animals) were tested against brucellosis using RBPT. During the exportation processes in 2011 and 2012 only 4084 (2.8%) camels were rejected. Concerning rejection of shipments by the importing countries, although rejected camels during 2012 were 1058 (51.5% of all rejected animals), in the summation of the two years camels represented only 3.6% of the rejects. The outcome of this collaboration in the two years was the exportation of 6833787 live animals, 4.6% of them were camels and 15940.82 tons of meat with only 0.002% of them was camels meat. Based on available data and bibliography of camel research in the Sudan ways for improvement and the important diseases that constrain exportation of camels were discussed. Keywords: VRI, Role, Camel, Exportation. INTRODUCTION Veterinary Research Institute (VRI, 1913) is one of the Animal Resources Research Corporation constituents. Additional to its central departments it has 16 regional laboratories in the different Sudan states. VRI collaborates with all other federal general directorates of the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Rang Lands and with general 95
directorates of animal resources at state level to improve animal health in the Sudan. The outcome of this collaboration should be protection of the national herd, increasing the animal production and productivity, controlling of zoonotic diseases and improving of the animal wealth exports. VRI is engendered to conduct proper research, quick and reliable diagnosis, vaccines production and to train the veterinary and assistant staffs. Camels population in the Sudan is estimated as 4.7 millions heads representing only 4.5% of the total animal population. This and other factors related to camels herd structure and markets demands led to fewer export numbers compared to other animal species. Camels are either export for meat or racing. MATERIALS AND METHODS This article is a reporting and analytic paper that collates the information concerning with camels health and exportation. The manuscript exhibited part of VRI activities, particularly diagnosis and vaccines production. Diagnosis of camel samples is presented as a proportion from all livestock samples diagnosed during2011 and 2012. Then this method of comparison is considered for all the following export processes including vaccination, brucellosis testing, rejected animals, rejected ships cargo by the importing countries and the total number of export animals and weight of export meat during these two selected years. The paper is then tried to list some important camels diseases and conditions that might constrain camel production and exportation improvement. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 1/ Diagnosis in VRI During 2011 and 2012 VRI diagnosed a total of 405330 animal samples, of which 9366 (2.3%) were camels samples (Table 1). Although this proportion may seem to be reasonable and to some extent is matching with camels population, one may expect raising of this percentage if more attention is given to the camels as export animals and a national project of camels diseases control is implemented. The most important diagnosed diseases were brucellosis, some other bacterial infections like Staphylococcosis and Clostrial infection, nematodes, cestodes, coccidiosis and fungal infection (Anon 1& 2). Table 1: General Diagnosis in VRI & its Regional Laboratories Year Total Samples Camels Samples % 2011 253898 1773 0.7 2012 151432 7593 5.0 Total 405330 9366 2.3 2/ Vaccines Production Vaccines production started in VRI in 1925 and since then it contributes in animal diseases control and eradication. Rinderpest (RP) tissue culture vaccine was the main stake in eradication of the disease from Sudan and declaration of the country free from RP in 2008. The institute produced and distributed during the years 2011 and 2012 a total of 98381331 doses of different animal vaccines and 75846 ml of Brucella Rose Bengal Antigen. These vaccines definitely contribute to a large extent in the control of sheep pox, PPR, Haemorraghic Septicaemia (HS), Black Quarter (BQ), Anthrax and contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP). The camel pox vaccine is now under production and experimentation and efforts are now offered to produce Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine. Brucella Rose Bengal Antigen is used in the screening test (RBPT) of 96
brucellosis detection and it benefits for many purposes including animals exportation (Anon1 & 2) 3/ Export Processes 3-1 Vaccination and Brucellosis Testing of Export Animal Table (2) shows that during 2011 and 2012 the inspection and vaccination centres of GDQMH vaccinated a total 7116841 different animal species according to the requirements of the importing countries, 4.7 % of them were camels (Anon 3). With exception of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) vaccine that is used for sheep exported to KSA, all vaccines are produced at VRI. Even the imported RVF vaccines are sometimes referred to VRI for evaluation. This fact together with brucellosis testing (Table 3) shows the direct integrated role of VRI and GDQMH. Addition to that Brucella antigen is produced at VRI and RBPT is conducted in VRI, Soba and in ELobeid, ALgedarif, Kassala and Port-Sudan regional laboratories. The very low percentage (0.6%) of tested camels for brucellosis is surely due to the fact that one of the very important markets of camels doesn t condition this test, although they import camels for meat. Table 2: Vaccinations of Export Animals in 2011 & 2012 2011 3123319 158092 5.1 2012 3993522 174333 4.4 Total 7116841 332425 4.7 Table 3: Brucella Testing for Export Animals 2011 2694265 10852 0.4 2012 3513921 26537 0.8 Total 6208186 37389 0.6 3-2 Rejected Animals during Exportation Processes During inspection and disease checking some animals are rejected. During 2011 and 2012 a total of 146011 animals were rejected, 2.8% of them were camels (Table 4). The causes of rejection of camels were brucellosis, mange, trypanosomaiasis, skin lesions and other conditions (Anon 3). These causes should be subjected to thorough studies and research to minimize the rejected numbers. Table 4: Rejected Animals during Exportation Process in 2011 & 2012 2011 70537 1222 1.7 2012 75474 2862 3.8 Total 146011 4084 2.8 3-3 Rejected Ships Cargo by the Importing Countries As it appears in table (5), 51.5 % of animals rejected after shipping during 2012 were camels. Most causes of rejection were brucellosis, camel pox and ectoparasites (Anon3).These causes might appear due to some technical failures and sometimes might be due to mismanagement during exportation processes. Regular meetings were conducted between VRI and GDQMH Staffs to solve this problem and some trials were 97
implemented at terminal level of exportation process. These efforts should be continued to avoid ships cargo rejection. Table 5: Rejected Ships cargo during 2011 & 2012 Year No. of Ships Total Animals Camels % 2011 8 33401 204 0.6 2012 12 2056 1058 51.5 Total 20 35457 1262 3.6 3-4 The Outcome of Exportation Processes The outcome of the all efforts was that the export animals increased from 3063547 in 2011 to 3770240 heads in 2012. Although export camels increased between the two years by a total of 1532 heads but their percentage from all export animals decreased during 2012 (Table 6). More efforts on camels health and more facilities for both authorities together with extensive marketing efforts will definitely increase the camels export numbers. Generally, the export meat is negligible, particularly camel meat (Table 7). This needs elevation of our abattoirs and laboratories levels to meet the regional and international requests. Exportation of meat has an additional credit that the offal could be used for domestic consumption and/or for transformation industries. Table 6: Live Animals Export during 2011 & 2012 2011 3063547 151208 4.9 2012 3770240 166240 4.4 Total 6833787 317448 4.6 Table 7: Meat Export (Tons) during 2011 & 2012 2011 9021.9 0.265 0.003 2012 6918.92 0.082 0.001 Total 15940.82 0.347 0.002 - Camel Health Bibliography The most important stake in the control of animal diseases is the scientific research. Concerning camels health, this article shows some of many fragmented studies and publications those conducted at VRI. Agab and Abass (1991) reported 3934 clinical complaints in eastern Sudan included pneumonia, mastitis, mange, camel contagious ecthyma, calf diarrhea, Trypanosomiasis, tick paralysis and helminth infections. Ali et al. (2004) reported rabies virus in camels. Camel calf diarrhea and its causative agent rotavirus were studied by Ali et al., (2005a&b 2007 and 2008).Ticks infesting camels were studied by ELGhali and Hassan (2009) and ELTigani (2009). Intisar et al., (2009) studied bovine rhinotracheitis virus in camels.hamad (2010) studied abscesses of internal organ of camels.ppr disease outbreak among camels was reported by Khalafalla et al., (2010). A thorough, research on camel cestodes at Tumpool Slaughter House was conducted by Sijoud (2013). Vaccination of camels using REV.1 was successfully experimented by Maha (2013). Abeer (2013) studied some pathological and bacteriological affections on mammary gland of she- camel. Bacteria associated with Pneumonia in camels were identified by Muna (2013). There are many causes of camels culling from the herds including infertility, mastitis and brucellosis (Eisa, 2013). 98
CONCLUSION The role of VRI in animals exportation (including camels) is very clear through research, disease diagnosis, vaccination, brucellosis testing and participating in minimizing of animals and ships cargo rejection. This role could only be implemented in a full integration with GDQMH. This integration leads to a continuous progress in animal exports every year. It seems from this report that brucellosis is the main constrain facing camels exportation. World wise, the control of animal brucellosis has been approached with a combination of procedures: vaccination, test-and-slaughter and hygienic measures (Abbas and Agab, 2002). VRI produces Brucella abortus strain -19 and recently B. melitensis REV.1 vaccines which might contribute in brucellosis control. Recently camel pox seemed to have a real role in ships cargo rejection. The steps to produce camel pox vaccine at VRI are now in progress. RECOMMENDATIONS VRI diagnosis facilities should be raised to cope with the regional and international export needs and conditions. The VRI camel research unit should be reactivated and promoted to a department. A national programme should be planned to solve camels problems in both health and production and to increase their contribution in the exportation and in the national income. REFERENCES Abbas, B. and Agab, H. (2002). A review of camel brucellosis. Preventive Veterinary Medicine; 55: 47 56. Abeer, A. (2013). Pathological and Bacteriological Studies on Mammary Gland Affections in She-Camel (Camelus dromedarius) in Sudan. M.Sc thesis, Animal Resources Research Council, Sudan Academy of Sciences. Agab, H.and Abbas, B. (1991). Epidemiological studies on camel diseases in the eastern Sudan. FAO document. Ali, Y.H.; Intisar, K.Saeed; Zakia,A. (2004). Camel rabies in Sudan. Sud. J. Vet. Sci. Anim. Hus., 43(1,2): 231-234. Ali, Y. H ;Khalafalla,. A I ;El. Amin, M. A.(2005a). Epidemiology of Camel Calf Diarrhoea in Sudan: Seroprevalence of Camel Rotavirus Infection. JAVA, 4(3): 393-397. Ali YH, Khalafalla A.I, Gaffar M.E, Peenze I, Steele A.D. (2005b). Rotavirus- Associated with Camel Calf Diarrhoea in Sudan. JAVA, 4(3): 401-406. Ali, Y.H, Khalafalla A.I, Gaffar M.E, Peenze I., Steele A.D. (2007). Molecular epidemiology and characterization of camel group A rotaviruses in Sudan. Proceedings of the 12 th International conference of the Association of Institutions of Tropical Veterinary Medicine P. 119. Montepellier, France 20-22 August 2007. Ali, Y.H, Khalafalla A.I, Gaffar M.E, Peenze I., Steele A.D. (2008). Detection and isolation of group A rotavirus from camel calves in Sudan. Veterinariski Arhiv, 78(6): 477-485. Anon (1). The annual repot of Veterinary Research Institute 2011. Anon (2). The annual repot of Veterinary Research Institute 2012. Anon (3). The analytic report of the General Directorate of Quarries and Meat Hygiene 2012. 99
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